A London tribunal has ordered Barclays (BARC.L) to compensate a former analyst, Anca Lacatus, nearly £50,000 ($63,500) following her claims of inadequate workplace adjustments for her

health conditions and incidents of sex discrimination. Lacatus, who suffers from endometriosis and anxiety, argued that the bank failed to provide reasonable accommodations regarding her working hours.

The East London Employment Tribunal directed Barclays to compensate Lacatus for personal injury and emotional distress, though it rejected her claims for loss of earnings, future earnings, and medical expenses. Barclays has declined to comment on the ruling, and Lacatus’s legal representation did not respond to requests for comment.

Lacatus, employed by Barclays from 2016 to 2020, initially sought damages totaling around £4 million after partially winning her employment case in 2021. She argued that her line manager used sexist language and required her to work 40-48 hours per week despite her health struggles.

In a judgment released on Thursday, the tribunal acknowledged the "tragic circumstances" faced by Lacatus, who now resides with her parents in Romania. Due to her health issues, she is currently unable to work or afford medical treatment. However, the tribunal denied compensation for loss of earnings, ruling that her mental and physical health would likely have deteriorated regardless of the bank’s actions.

The tribunal noted, “It follows that Barclays ought not be ordered to compensate for any pain, suffering, or loss of amenity beyond that point,” in a judgment dated October 29.

While Lacatus’s claims for unfair dismissal and breach of contract were dismissed in 2021, her success in the sex discrimination element of the case—focused on her manager referring to female employees as “birds”—was seen as a significant moment for women addressing sexism in London's finance sector. She received £1,527, including interest, for her sex discrimination claim. Photo by David Edgar, Wikimedia commons.